I had just heard something yesterday that seemed to make sense about his condition and the departure of the 5 players. As much as I would like to hope a press conference would have positive news, ie Barron is healthy and coming back to coach, I highly doubt it. Guess we wait till 3 pm and see what happens.

Update from Coach Richard Barron4/5/2017 | Women's Basketball "Early this season, I started to notice some changes in my health. On Dec. 8, I had sudden sensorineural hearing loss accompanied by vestibular issues. We struggled to diagnose the underlying cause and initially I feared that my condition was terminal. Because of that uncertainty, I stepped away as head coach in early January.

Thankfully, it appears my condition is not life-threatening. However, we still have lots of questions about the long-term prognosis. I have two parallel neurological conditions: Demyelinating Peripheral Neuropathy and Vestibular Neuritis. The former leaves me with pain, numbness, weakness, etc. in my arms and legs. The latter has caused Hyperacusis, Diplacusis and Vestibular Migraines. The hyperacusis and Vestibular Migraines can be debilitating, especially outside of a controlled environment.

My doctors have told me that there is reason for long-term optimism with medications and therapies but it is also something that could stay with me for a year or longer or permanently.

With that information, I felt that it was important that the women's basketball program have some certainty - certainty that I cannot give at this time. I recommended to Karlton Creech that we look for a way to give full authority of the program to Amy Vachon as I try these treatments.

I have great confidence in Amy and her leadership of the program. Amy has been a stalwart of the program for the past six years and has been a part of every decision. She will not only bring what she has learned from me to the position, but what she has learned through her career as a player and coach.

I want to thank everyone in the community and beyond who have reached out to show their concern for my family and me. I have appreciated all of your calls, texts, letters, cards and emails. They have meant a great deal to us. I especially want to thank Karlton and President Susan Hunter for their support and understanding. They have made a difficult situation easier.

I also want to acknowledge the hard work and promising results of the women's basketball staff and student-athletes who all had to come together in my absence.

I remain bullish on UMaine Women's Basketball and look forward to the future of the program."

Amy Vachon named UMaine women's basketball interim head coach4/5/2017 | Women's Basketball Orono, Maine - University of Maine Director of Athletics Karlton Creech has announced that Amy Vachon will serve as interim head coach of the women's basketball team for the 2017-18 season, effective April 5, 2017.

Vachon has led the team since Jan. 6, when she took over head coaching duties after it was announced that coach Richard Barron would be taking an extended medical leave.

"Amy stepped up at a difficult time during the 2016-17 season in coach Richard Barron's absence and handled the head coaching duties with poise and confidence," Creech said. "As coach Barron takes the time needed to seek improvement for his health, we are once again confident in coach Vachon's ability to successfully lead the program over the next year, and we thank her for her loyalty and service to the University of Maine."

At the helm, Vachon guided the Black Bears back to their second-straight America East Championship game. Maine went 11-7 under Vachon, who guided UMaine to America East postseason victories over Binghamton and top-ranked New Hampshire.

During the regular season, Vachon helped lead UMaine to an 84-71 victory over eventual league champion Albany. The 84 points were Maine's highest single-game point total of the season.

"I want to thank Karlton Creech and President Susan Hunter for this opportunity," said Vachon. "Although it is not an ideal situation, I could not be more excited to continue working with our team. We have a fabulous group returning and the incoming recruits fit our culture, believe in our standards and are great basketball players. I also want to thank coach Barron for his continued support of me and this program. He has poured his heart and soul into this program and I have been fortunate to have him as a mentor and a friend. I am looking forward to a tremendous 2017-18 basketball season."

Vachon, who was promoted to associate head coach in May 2016, joined the staff as an assistant coach in May 2011. Vachon also has served as recruiting coordinator for the Black Bears.

Prior to joining the UMaine staff, Vachon was the head girls' basketball coach at Catherine McAuley High School, guiding the squad to the 2011 Maine Class A State Championship.

Vachon was a two-year captain for the UMaine women's basketball team and led the Black Bears to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. She was a member of the 1999 team that knocked off Stanford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. While Vachon played at UMaine, the Black Bears compiled a four-year record of 87-35, including a 61-11 record in conference play. She was a key player for the Black Bears when they captured back-to-back America East Championships in 1996-97 and 1997-98. Vachon was named to the America East All-Tournament Team in 1999.

Vachon, who was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, holds UMaine records for the most assists in a season, with 234. She also holds the UMaine and America East record for assists in a career, with 759. When hired in 2011, she ranked 22nd all-time in NCAA history in career assists.

Vachon is the daughter of former Cony High School girls basketball coach Paul Vachon. At Cony, she played on two-state championships teams, was a four-year All-State Basketball selection and a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year. In 1996, she was named Miss Maine Basketball and the High School Athlete of the Year.

Vachon excelled in the classroom and knows the demands of Division I student-athletes. At UMaine, she was selected to the All-Maine Women Honor Society and made the dean's list and the America East All-Conference Academic Honor Roll. She was a Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board.

Vachon graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2000 with a degree in elementary education. In 2002, she earned her Master's of Education in school counseling at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Quick take. In her statement, Vachon referred to "incoming recruits." To date, Kelly Fogarty, a top shooter from Mass., is the only recruit named for next year. If this is not just another typo from the athletic dept. staff, then we can look forward to next Wednesday when late signing begins.

I immediately caught on to that as well Bob. Perhaps staff had some foresight and had contingencies in place? If the rest of the freshman class remains with Millan, Wadling, Brosseau and Tapley then I'd still consider that the top freshman class in the AE. Fogarty is a quality AE level recruit. If the coaches can bring in a few players similar in caliber to Weckstrom / Gustaffson / Heise then the program is still positioned really well for the next few years. Time will tell!

More importantly, best wishes to Barron and his family for a full recovery.